November 2017 — This fall LSA kicked off a seven-week indigenous language, cooking and nutrition workshop. The program is being offered in partnership with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Endangered Language Alliance. The Endangered Language Alliance (ELA) is an independent non-profit based in New York City that documents underdescribed and endangered languages, educating a larger public and collaborating with communities.

Through the workshop, LSA hopes to positively impact the nutrition and health habits of the community of indigenous language speakers in East Harlem. The participants primarily speak Nahuatl, Mixteco and Mam, and are engaged in other programs within LSA.

The first session took place the week of Thanksgiving, and featured a turkey seasoned with a homemade sofrito, the original recipe of our own Inginia Garcia, Director of the early childhood socialization groups in our Parenting and Child Development department.

Here’s the recipe!

Inginia’s Sofrito

INGREDIENTS
1 pound of small sweet peppers (ajicito dulce)
1 pound of garlic
1/2 pound of cilantro
3 onions
3 bunches of scallions
1 red or green pepper
1 1/2 cup of olive oil
1 cup of vinegar
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of teriyaki with garlic
6-12 cubes of chicken boullion

DIRECTIONS

• Wash all vegetables and cut into small pieces
• Blend all vegetables together (in a blender of food processor)
• Add 1 cup of water, 1 ½ cup of olive oil and stir

Use as needed to season meat, stews, rice, vegetables, etc.

Can be stored in the freezer for up so a year.

Above: The ELA leads a group of parents from LSA programs.